USS Abraham Lincoln leaves Thailand after five-day port call
The New York Post reported that the nuclear-powered carrier USS Abraham Lincoln left Thailand on September 6, ending a five-day port call in Pattaya and at the Laem Chabang port after its 286-day Middle East deployment. Earlier in the week, the carrier arrived at Laem Chabang on September 2, ending an eight-month combat deployment, CNN reported. AP and The Guardian noted that Thai officials, including Governor Narit Niramaiwong and Mayor Poramase Ngampiches, ramped up police presence and barred recreational activities to secure the ship’s stay.
BBC footage showed about 5,000 sailors taking shore leave in Pattaya, shopping and visiting bars, while Euronews said two sailors were sent back to the ship after a drunken altercation. Local businesses reported a surge in sales, and the Daily Beast relayed crew accounts of food rationing, limited communications and mental-health strain during the long deployment. Observers also pointed to visible rust on the hull, which CNN said would require extensive maintenance.
